WE ARE just about to embark on what is the hottest contest ever, if we were to base it on the campaign expenditures poured and the forms in which every candidate have found a way to skirt around that Commission on Elections (Comelec) restriction on how much a candidate can spend.

We are also coming from a nine-year telenovela of graft, corruption and how it's easy to up one's nose to all these and survive.

But we know, this shouldn't be. Tomorrow, we have the power in our hands to do something. The power of our vote and our vigilance to make sure that that one single vote is counted.

The Philippine Education Theater Association (Peta) have seen and maybe even gone through the struggles of every thinking Filipino these past years and have thus staged the play, "Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diablo at Ang Limang Milyong Boto," to enjoin the youth to help make that difference as we all exercise our right of suffrage.

Five million is the estimated number of youth voters.

The stage play premiered in October 2009, had since been made into a DVD, the launching of which was held last April 19, 2010 at the Rizal Memorial Colleges Media Center with event partner Maskara Youth Theatre Guild of RMC.

It was a timely showing, it was a timely play.

For those who missed the video launching, they can watch it today (Sunday) until tomorrow (Monday) at The Knowledge Channel. On Sunday, it will be from 2:20-3:20 p.m. and another one at 8:20-9:20 p.m. While on Monday, the last day it will be shown on cable for this run is at 8:20-9:20 a.m. and at 8:20-9:20 p.m.

Juan, the apathetic

A vaudeville type of stage play (thus expect bright if not garish stage costumes and song-and-dance routines), Peta's "Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto" is set in imaginary Isla Filiminimon.

It is about Juan Tamad, son of two overseas workers based in Isla Agimat, who grew up with his grandmother, Lola Anitan, a former kapitana.

The show begins when Juan is already 21 years old who is resentful of his country and how he had to live away from his parents.

As an adult from a grandmother household, he becomes lazy, apathetic, and uninvolved. His only dream is to be an overseas worker himself and go to Isla Agimat.

His parents, however, refused to have him there, telling him to stay home and stop the cycle of migrating Filiminis.

As election nears, Juan's grandmother pushes him to register so he can vote. He did not want to, but conceded anyway, because, that's how he is. He surrenders easily. And with his grandmother pushing him, it's easier to surrender.

In signing up, however, Juan Tamad starts to see how election is run.

He saw into how the corrupt candidates manipulate the truth, and how the traditional politicians give empty promises.

He also saw into the filth that an election campaign runs.

All that he saw sparked this desire to help put the best candidate in position to make Isla Filiminimon great again.

All throughout, the Diyablo, played out by the narrator tries to draw him away from the path that Lola Anitan wants him to take.

The other characters

From the Peta website, the other characters, who are the candidates for the 2010 Pinuno ng Bayan, are described as: Bernardo Bungisnis, the two-time senator and former alkade mayor; Mariang Batibat, TV journalist, activist and environmentalist; Elsa Mananambal, a manghihilot, midwife and albularyo who speaks in sign-language; and Sigben Pugot, a young and dashing congressman.

The candidates make their appearance in a parody of Philippine campaigns complete with campaign jingles.

His candidate loses

He thus went to the precinct and cast his vote. His candidate lost; he is shattered.

Returns the grandmother who nags him into not giving up when he thinks he is right. Instead of sulking because his candidate lost, the grandmother prodded, he should make it his role now to make sure that the winning candidate does his job right.

And thus saw the transformation of Juan Tamad, the apathetic, into a young man who is involved in youth community efforts.

Knowing his country is in the pits, he helps in its transformation, starting with himself.

Juan thus realized that good governance does not start and end with the President but is the combined and vigilant efforts of the people themselves to make sure that all election promises are kept and that the leader remains truthful and accountable to the people.

From Juan Tamad, he drops the last letter and named himself Juan Tama.

Reaching out

The video was produced with the support of Freedom to Create-Singapore to reach out to the young in Visayas and Mindanao, since it will be very expensive to bring over a stage play to these regions.

During its launch, DVD kits of the musical were distributed with a Discussion Guide so that Teachers and Youth Leaders can use it in classrooms and in their respective organizations. The objective of this video is to educate the young viewers on: The Importance of this Election; Criteria in Choosing a Candidate; Qualifications of a good leader; How to vote; How to safeguard our votes and ensure good governance.

Other school and youth group that joined the launching were the Brokenshire College, Davao Doctors College, STEP-FA scholars, AYOS Na, Youth for Environment and Peace, Kaliwat Theater Collective, San Antonio Disaster Management Group and SK groups.

Further inquiries about the DVD and the play can be coursed through Maskara Youth Theatre Guild's director Erolle Linus Miranda, through email: erollelinusmiranda@yahoo.com.ph.